Feral Teens
by Mystic Scripture
Summary: Stephanie McGrath had a normal life. Sure her parents were divorced and she was more on the introverted and snarky side, but hey, a life is a life. She had friends, sorta kinda, even though one of them kept using her as coverage forever and the other a homework bot. Oh, and the werewolves. And the TMNT reject killing people...totally normal, right?
1. Tenuous Friendships

_The air held a chill that was typical of most nights in California, a slight shiver running through the lone girl's frame. Her shoulder convulsed as her hair shifted against her skin at the same time, the coppery strands glimmering in the moonlight. She was looking around anxiously, defensive and looking out for some unseen threat. She kept a watchful eye on her surroundings, her head tilted slightly as if she were listening for something. To the untrained ear, though, all that was immediately heard was the twittering of owls and the chatter of evening bugs. To the trained one, there were all sorts of things lurking in the woods. There was a reason the town reserve was closed after dark, not that it ever stopped teens from sneaking in for their drinking, smoking, or night hikes with significant others._

 _The girl continued listening as she searched, a soft blue glow radiating off her at any suspicious sound. The most recent was the snapping of a twig right behind her, causing the glow to emanate from her hands as she turned into a protected stance. She wasn't much of a fighter, but she'd been training prepared herself for defense, her brow set in concentration. Almost as soon as she met her follower, however, the position fell and her eyes dimmed from their soft glow to their normal pale blue. Crossing her arms with a small scowl, she ran her tongue over her teeth behind a tight lips before addressing the cause for alarm._

 _"Seriously, Lahey?" She deflated with the accusation, an exasperation crossing her dainty face. It's purpose was hiding her concern, but she was sure he could still sense it. "One of these days I won't show restraint and actually kick your ass for stalking me."_

 _There was a light chuckle in response as the boy in question held his hands up in surrender. "Well, you could try McGrath, but I doubt you would have succeeded."_

 _"Don't pose challenges that you can't win, Isaac." Came the playful retort followed by the shoving of a hand against his chest with just enough surprise force to push him back on his heels. "Just because I have ...Issues with my powers don't think I can't kick your ass."_

 _"So, you say, but I'm feeling pretty confident." The other teen smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders companionably. "You may be smart, but you can't have the brains_ _ **and**_ _brawn of this team."_

 _"Who said I needed both to beat you?" She said, turning around, and going back to her search. "Besides, I've got a bigger fish to fry right now. So, unless you plan on more attempts to get the drop on me, help me find that mutation that's been killing people."_

 _Isaac nodded his head, taking a few steps forward to lead the way. After a few moment's silence, he paused turning to meet her quizzically furrowed brow. However, whatever he was going to say was lost in a roarous_ _ **BEEP!**_

 _ **BEEP! BEE- Click**_

"Whoa!"

My hand snapped outward to lock my phone, effectively turning off my alarm off before emerging from under my cocoon of pillows and blankets. After taking a minute to shake myself awake, I looked at the clock on my wall with a frown. It was too early for school, and I spent most of the night getting my homework done, having only gone to sleep a mere three hours ago.

My immediate reaction was to check the wall that joined me to my mother's room. She had been working the graveyard shift at Eichen ever since her promotion, and I knew she had come in a little after I went to bed, so her sleep was important. After realizing that I hadn't disturbed her with the thin walls of the house, I thought back to why I would be up at this hour. Then it hit me; Scott had called in last minute to see if I could cover for him yesterday. I don't typically work Sunday mornings, meaning I forgot to reset my alarm for school. Glancing next to my bed, I looked at an old photo with a frown. I was perched upon Dad's shoulders and my brother was helping his best friend carry the boy from my dream up as we all grinned cheekily towards Mr. Lahey.

Finally getting my feet free, I worked at making my bed, looking away from the memory of long ago; of a time when my family was whole. Of a time that held so many smiles. Hell, of a time when we still even _talked_ to the Lahey family. The only reason I kept the picture was because it had my brother and I with my dad. There weren't a lot of those left after the divorce. I shook my head, moving to gather my outfit for the day, trying not to think too hard about it as I shuffled across the hall to take a shower. Being the first one up had its benefits in the small 3 bedroom home, and I was going to make sure to waste none of the precious little time I might get.

I did pause at the mirror over the sink for a minute though, touching my face and combing at my sleep-knotted hair in confusion. Where did all of those strange features come from in my dream? I mean, I wasn't saying I looked terrible, I just wasn't one to put a lot of effort into my appearance, and I looked radiant in the dream; that was the reason I was questioning. Actually, that's false, the entirety of it had me questioning my sanity.

Isaac Lahey and I didn't exactly talk let alone make any sort of physical contact or banter. I stuck to my books and my friends, named mostly in courtesy, and he stuck to lacrosse. I mean, we have cross country in the spring together, as well as four classes, but other than that the similarities ended. I mean, yeah, we knew each other as kids, but it had been _years_ since that time. Now, we both stood in different outcast circles. He probably doesn't really know I exist outside of a familiar face among the other students. Sure, we'd make accidental eye contact as is typical with anyone in a school day, but nothing to warrant the dream. Though I was up late studying for one of the classes he sat behind me in, maybe that's what set it off.

"You really need to stop popping Adderall during your late night study sessions, Steph" I muttered, turning away from my reflections both internal and external. "Always makes your dreams go wonky."

Let me pause for a moment to state that I am _not_ a pill popper.I have been diagnosed as someone with ADHD, so the script itself is very real. I have always concentrated on other people and hyper aware their situations instead of studying and paying attention in school. I just _also_ have been known to take a bunch at once, which isn't exactly what the directions dictate on the bottle. I compensated for that skipping out on my 'good' days so that when there are weeks like this one, where I need a cram session that all the caffeine in the world can't satisfy, I can take a couple extra to keep me going. So, it auto-refills on a controlled cycle, and no one is aware of my less than sanctioned practices. I swear I'm not an addict, or junkie, I just use the side effects to my benefit upon occasion with the schedule I keep. If anything, it's Danny's fault for telling me that his classmates at school do it all the time to get their homework done at the last possible minute so they could enjoy the college lifestyle and maintain their grades.

Moving along, I take shower, fully walking my body up as the slight cold of night sweats rippled away with the steaming water I liked. Given that it was a Monday, I had gone with comfortable but cute when picking my outfit. After drying myself off, I placed on a simple knitted sweater with jeans and tall boots. It was trendy under prying eyes for the week, while having the freedom to accessorize, and maybe even avoid having my sense of fashion criticized in the eyes of It Girl Lydia Martin. I blow dried my hair, combing in some mousse to keep my hair pin straight today. Inspecting my face, I looked around my trouble spots. Making a more critical than usual tsk, I dabbed on strategic blots of concealer to hide the bags under my eyes along with any other perceived blemishes.

I carried on with my routine, glad to see that my mom was still asleep, and preparing for my brother's typical, if usually turned down, offer to give me a ride to school. I tended to bike since we weren't that far away, and the few times that Dan wasn't really awake, had me terrified to be in his truck before noon. The bike was also a gift from my dad and one of the few things I have left of him.

Not that he's dead or anything, just you know, Mom took custody after the split and he shortly went away to some classified job he can't tell us about. I frequently longed for it to be the other way around, though. Dad always understood me better than Mom did. There was also the fact that _Mom_ was the one that cheated on Dad.

Mom was the one who threw herself into work to avoid taking care of us. It was Mom that would make promises she couldn't keep, or retract them far to was _Mom_ who tried to force Danny to try and still be friends with his childhood friend, Camden after their falling out. And it was Mom that wanted my dad- the hotheaded, fierce protector he is- to apologize for cold cocking Mr. Lahey and threatening to report him for child abuse. Yeah, Mom's simplistic take on things made a lot of things in my life more complicated than they needed to be. Because of that, there is a lot of resentment for my Mother who I never see, and had several torrid affairs with Pilates instructors while my Dad did everything he could to give us a good childhood while making the money for the house.

This is what makes my teenage life, suck slightly more than average. Between taking mostly junior classes as a sophomore, pulling two jobs, and helping Danny keep the house from burning down, there was barely any space in my head as it is. Add the overbearing hatred for my mother, the constant distractions on worrying about everyone over myself, and well, yeah, I got a pretty freaking full plate. Yeah, the kid whose attention deficits is taking a bunch of classes above her age grade level, what a wonderful idea right? Wrong.

It didn't help that my brother was the golden boy of the family. Mom always loved her Daniel and his achievements. He was able to maintain a near 4.0 average while excelling in Swim and Lacrosse in high school, he even worked as a recreation coach over the summers. All of this got him a full ride to basically everywhere he would want to go, but instead, he's taking classes at the closest community college possible to help me and Mom with the house. Super hard to hate the guy when he was basically the chillest dude ever.

But still awe we all pressed forward and stuck it out. We all put money towards the house, as well as made a silent pact to take care of ourselves, and occasionally be in charge of buying the groceries. I biked everywhere, even though Mom has a car she only uses at night, and Danny has his truck. It was a present that cost Mom several months of carefully scrimped paychecks and those promises to me she never kept. Though we could say that I would be the same.

See, my mom wanted to have the perfect life, and sometimes would even talk about what that life would have been like. Basically living in some weird hybrid of the Whittemore and Martin homes, but with a daughter that was different than me, and apparently one I used to make up as a kid. Melanie, my 'twin' that I imagined for years, was the perfect foil to my actual life. The problem is, while I outgrew Melanie, Mom didn't. She became obsessed with this idea, and every time I don't something that would make her happy she tells me it's what "Mel would've done."

There are days, I question her _working_ at Eichen and why we weren't paying for her to be a _patient_ at Eichen. However, she's still my mom, and I am 'dependent' on her until I go off to college.

I shuffled into my room, hating how the spare few feet can make me think about so much. Tossing my balled up Pajamas onto the bed, I turned to my desk when I was hit with the overbearing scent of sweat, oily hair, and stale body spray. I wrinkled my nose towards my bed, and brother, whining as he stood up with a dopey smile, my pajamas easily caught in his hand.

"Good _Lord_ Danny!" I gagged dramatically, keeping my distance as I staggered around my room looking for various supplies that had been strewn about in my mania of studying. "I would like to say thank you from people everywhere that I left you hot water."

"Aww Little Miss Distracted having a bad morning cuz she was up all night studying?" He teased, ruffling my hair slightly as he pulled me towards him. "I think that means she needs a hug from her favorite big brother."

"You're my _only_ brother." I whined, trying to escape his grasp. "Besides, I don't have to have to be in a bad mood to possess a sense of smell. Did you even bother showering when you got back from practice last night?"

"Considering we went on a snack run right after, and I helped you with Harris's Chem assignment from Hell...No." He let go of me after giving a light chuckle at my ineffective flailing under his muscle. "But I would have done this for _years_ had I known it would bother you this much." He turned towards the bed, grabbing something, "Besides, you left this in the truck."

"First, I have to smell you, and now I have to think about Chemistry and Harris first thing in the morning? Pretty sure I just lost my appetite." I grumbled, taking the book I'd been searching for from his hand. I held my stomach with a slight pout. "I bought danishes last night too, thanks a lot, bro."

"Anything for you, Kiddo." He called out as I picked up my bag and left the room.

"That was sarcasm, Daniel. Don't make me start holding the sign up again!" I retorted, plugging my nose to make it past his cave of a room. "Or attack your room with some Febreeze, I _will_ break out the girly shit!"

"Stephanie, is that you?" My mom called out from the kitchen as I walked through the living room.

I grimaced, feeling guilty that she was already up. "Yeah, mom...what's going on?"

"Well," she started, pulling her auburn tresses from her face. "I'd thought that with you being up all night that chores were done before, well, whatever it was you were doing. Seems like you had more important things to do."

I frowned, wincing internally. _I totally forgot it was my turn to clean the kitchen yesterday_ "I was studying for a test I have this week, I'm so sorry. I'll take the trash out on my way to school. I was going to try getting in early, so I'll just do the dishes when I get home? I mean that or I'll just make Danny do it?"

"Really, you'll _make_ your older brother do his least favorite chore?" She raised an eyebrow at me skeptically. "I hope you have a damn good pitch that you aren't sharing."

"He stank up my bed." I stated, shrugging slightly. "It's the least he can do after the laundry I'm gonna have to do to clean it out." _Not everyone in this family is a self-absorbed twit._

My mom's face shifted, and I briefly was terrified that she'd heard me. Sometimes, I swear she's able to hear my thoughts as if I said them. Eyes had narrowed, paired with a furrowed brow and straight lips. My blunt snark and wit were only appreciated by the men in our family, so I tried to keep it in check for the most part. Especially when I receive looks that could get me grounded. I swallowed slightly, and started to organize the dishes and put away the ones that were in the drying rack. There was a small nod, and a noise that came through the nose in a way that said 'that's what I thought' and she turned back to prepping two coffee mugs. I knew I would have to choke down one-it's one of those Mel things- and bit my bottom lip to hide my own grimace. For the next few minutes as I finished my efforts were quiet save for a few clattering noises from metal hitting Corelle, and the ripple of plastic as I changed the trash.

"I'll just take his shift of putting away tonight, and wash tonight's dishes." I offered.

At first I got no response, causing me to clear my throat awkwardly as Dan dragged himself into the room, saving me from the bitter morning drink by grabbing it from the table. My mother, who was externally displaying just how tired I was, raised an eyebrow as if to ask if I wanted a cookie, but smiled widely when she noticed her son next to her. I was given a slight nod from my mom as she faced me to get the cream, and was waved away in an indication that I wasn't needed anymore. So I went outside, put the trash on the curb, and proceeded to bike to school.

There were days that this would bother me, but I was also used to it by now. I had very clearly taken my dad's side in the split, and for a year, I was a terrible preteen. Now, my mom squashes any chance of me 'relapsing'. Taking his side only to be left in the aftermath when he got his new job has that effect. There are days that I like to imagine what it would be like had he taken me with him, but a part of me knew that wasn't ever going to happen. Ironically, he was doing it to make sure that I wouldn't get uprooted from school or not be taken care of. He didn't know his new hours and he couldn't guarantee that I would be well taken care of. So I was left with my mom, who was deemed 'more responsible' in my well-being when really it was more like Danny became my parent. He was twenty-three with a seventeen year old, it really has to be strange for him.

It didn't help that my mother hadn't planned on working again, just sucking off of his job and then child support. This goes back to how she wanted the ideal life. A loving and successful husband, a son who loved her unconditionally, and a single daughter who idolized her all the while being oblivious to her torrid secret life while he was away. The perfect soap opera pantomiming the American dream, aged white picket fence, wine addiction, and all. Too bad they never really show the reality of what happens to the _real_ housewives of Beacon County; it wasn't interesting enough.

I sighed as I found myself at the school, shifting my thoughts (again) toward classes as I struggled through the clogged hallways to get to my locker quickly. I grabbed what I could for the first half of my day, and pushed my way back outside toward the lacrosse field for my free period. Having Dan for an older brother, I liked to view and play the sport. Granted, there was no girls team, and I tended to play in a manner that the word abysmal couldn't even begin to describe, but I still found it fun. I also liked to read or study with the practices in the background. It was a sound that reminded me of better times. It also was where my best, and probably only friend, Meghan would be, playing a one person chess match while occasionally glancing off, dreamily towards the lacrosse boys.

I smiled to myself as I found her already there, her bags piled in a way to leave room for me. Most people kinda gave her a wide berth, but the effort always made me feel appreciated. I moved towards the corner of the bleachers she'd picked out for us, trying my best to ignore the swirl of gossip around me and the various reactions to it. Not that it was particularly easy this week; Allison Argent's aunt (yeah I know, AAA, she's a battery) had her funeral today but was a pariah after being discovered the guilty party of the Hale fire years ago, Lydia Martin was running around lost in the woods-naked for those that were really interested-, and there were even whispers about a second fire at the Hale house the night of the formal. All of this before I had even sat down.

I kept my head down, deciding to cross the sidelines to get to my friend, to avoid the people my mother thought I/Mel should be friends with. I hadn't seen Scott or Stiles today, but, we were acquaintances at best. While Stiles and I shared a lot of classes, exchanged babbled snark, as well as a mutual love for all things geeky, Scott, well Scott suffers from pop culture retardation, but he's a nice guy and we work at the clinic together. As I struggled to remember if I was covering a shift for him this afternoon-an all too frequent occurrence these days- I bumped into a solid form that gave a grunt in response.

"Oh God, I'm such a ditz I should have been watching where I was going!" I exclaimed, straightening my head, and finding I had to tilt my head slightly to meet frenzied blue eyes that avoided my gaze.

"N-no...it's fine, it was my fault..." None other than Isaac Lahey protested, shaking his head slightly as he shifted on his feet. He wasn't changed for practice yet, and looked distracted. "I mean, I could have knocked you over or something."

"Don't let the textbooks fool ya." I joked, pushing aside all thoughts about this morning's dream, and standing to my full height. While he was still taller than me, I took pride in it being less than average. "I'm scrappier than I look. Made it through all Danny-Cam team ups for all those years, right?"

I closed my eyes, mentally slapping myself on the forehead. _Why would you bring that up, ya big dummy! Just because I was feeling sentimental today didn't mean he wanted to talk about his dead brother._ I watched a flash fall in front of his eyes, and for a second I thought I was going to be met with a shoulder against mine, looking down in shame. Instead I was met with a small smile, and a laugh from the back of his throat. The look on his face was understanding, and for a second, I was a little kid again, Dad was picking me and Danny up to go home while the whole family was waving us off with smiles. I felt my eyes start to glass over as I thought about my life now.

The problem is, I couldn't tell if I was feeling that, or if I got the feeling from him. I didn't get to dwell on it though, since he actually decided to respond instead of shutting me out.

"I mean, we did have a rough time of it sometimes." He answered awkwardly, fiddling with the strap of his bag. "They were quite the team back then."

"Yeah, yeah they were... _"_ I mused, nodding my head. "Is it weird to say that I kind of miss those days? I mean, we all used to be so close and suddenly out of nowhere we all stopped talking. I mean, I still don't know why Danny and Cam stopped talking. I mean we kinda followed suit too...Don't you think that's weird? And then with my parents divorce, and your mom-"

My mouth snapped shut. _Shit...I did the thing again._ I winced at the fact that I'd now brought up two deceased Laheys to one in a span of a minute. I was surprised that he was still standing with me, to be honest. I felt panic rise up from my gut; I'll never found out about that dream now.

"I'm so sorry, it's just that we never talk about it...when and if we talk at all that is." I rambled, "I mean Danny doesn't talk about it, and we don't really talk outside of classes anymore, so...I'm just going to shut up and put down the shovel I'm digging this wonderfully deep hole I've put myself in."

"I-it's fine, really." He stuttered, trying to wave off my panic. "I mean if it helps Cam never talked about it either? And then as you said, things kinda got messy for both our families."

I nodded awkwardly, whatever rapport we had diminished. I found myself watching him as he ran a hand through his hair, ruffling at the top of his head. It was something so familiar that I almost didn't realize why he'd been facing me with his right side. As he relaxed into the silence, he let his guard down. And then I saw it.

I saw it and I wanted to kick the crap out of whoever did it. Or at least, I would try. Blue rimmed around his left eye as if he'd been beaten down by someone was a large bruise, and from the way he was shifting his gaze, I could tell he didn't want to talk about it.

"I wasn't trying to cast blame or anything, just kinda had a severe case of word vomit." I joked, changing the subject by motioning at my own face. "Uhm hey, did you forget your mask at a practice last week? Or did someone-"

"O-Oh, I just hit myself with my locker, but I kinda need to get ready for practice." I watched as he turned away from me again, suddenly hyper aware of our surroundings. "Coach is gonna kill me for being late again."

"Right, right. I guess I'll-" I watched as he rushed off towards the building. "See you in math..."

I shook my head, and continued my journey to my friend. Letting out a sigh, I plopped cold metal with a deflated stance.

"That has got to be the weirdest conversation I've ever had to date, Megs." I groaned, laying my head on the blonde's shoulder.

"Judging by how warm your cheeks feel, I can only imagine." She muttered, in the midst of a stalemate. "How'd your Cram Sesh go?"

"Welp, I got up under five hours after I went to sleep." I responded, pulling the algebraic equations I needed to practice for the test I had tomorrow. "I mean, I had two full REM cycles, so it's fine. Why gif yourself too much rest, right?"

"Pretty sure you need more than that, love." She said, her soft voice calming me.

The Danielsons had moved to Beacon Hills right before seventh grade, so Meg had a slight accent that told people she wasn't from around here. It used to earn her cool points, but then people realize how much of an 'odd duck' she was, and veer away. Not me though, it was nice to have someone to share awkward quirks with, someone to tease and in turn get teased back. It started off as us being lab partners, then having nearly every class together. Soon enough, it was more effort to _not_ be friends with her. Besides, we were perfect foils in our academics, so it made for great study sessions.

I murmured something about her logic ruining my fun, and went back to my notes, pulling out the cheat sheet she'd made for me. Math was my worst subject, and I had to study my butt off to maintain my grades in it. It didn't help that I was taking chemistry this year, which is a very math-based science. So many formulas had to stay imprinted in my brain along with everything else, that I have flash cards for them in every place imaginable. Distractions weren't welcome, today more than usual with midterms around the corner, but here I was, trying to distinguish Isaac from all the other Meatheads I tutor. _I really should have kept my big mouth shut._

The rest of the day went on quickly and without any unusually terrible occurrences. It was Monday, and there were chapter tests this week, so not a lot of teachers allowed for much messing around. I also had to start taking an online class so that I could have a second 'free period' for tutoring. Why they even gave us one was beyond me, but here I was, dual enrolled so I could have mine, _and_ spend an hour and a half of time out of my education to provide a service to the Lacrosse team. Sometimes, it really sucked to be in the top Ten of your class. With Lydia having no desire to let her genius be public record, Meg working as a nanny for her neighbors all the time, and Stiles being the butt of every joke, I was the only one left to take the job aside from Danny (not my brother, but one of the other lacrosse players).

Not that I can complain too much, I get free tickets to any school event on top of getting paid about twenty dollars a session (which I usually got two or three in a day). I worked on a rotating schedule, each player meeting me for at least half an hour every week. Who I taught in extended sessions tended to shift, but it was always the same; too much muscle not enough brain. I even tutored Jackson Whittemore, but then he got a fancy private tutor from his loaded parents. Again, not that I could complain much about it; he was one of those people that thought he was always right, and therefore, everyone else around him is stupid. No wonder his girlfriend pretends to be a ditz.

I sighed, as I walked to my last class, remembering how Stiles got tossed into me while the co-captain sneered with a sick pride that only bullies would get. My chest bumped into the table, scattering salad all across the area. I remember shaking bits of stray lettuce off and gazing at the opposite side and end of the table, where fellow loner Vernon Boyd sat. We shared a shrug, and went back to our food. It was the typical exchange between us, nonverbal pleasantries or complaints about people at school and then back to our home packed lunches, Meg joining with cafeteria swill soon after. Yeah, today was just a typical day at Beacon High.

That is until I reached my chemistry class. Given that Harris has a proclivity towards making even the best of days dreadful, I was expecting an instant decline. I also had Stiles giving me a lengthy explanation I didn't want to hear about what happened at lunch to look forward to. I sighed, taking my usual place next to him, finding him and his bestie huddled together and talking. By which I mean Stiles was practically laying across our desk while Scott sat normally.

I watched them for a second, wondering what they could be talking about. I'd been covering for them a lot lately, at school and work. I didn't really mind, they were my friends, if in the loosest sense of the word. We talked often enough, and we don't avoid interaction with each other, but I still wouldn't say we were all that close. With all of the questionable coverage and homework copying I've been providing, I felt more like a recurring side character who was kept around to help with continuity. They didn't fail class, and I got lots of money with the occasional acknowledgement that I was helping. Speaking of...

"You missed your session again, McCall. Coach is gonna have my head if you fail another test." I started making my presence known and causing Stiles to jump back into his seat. "Oh, don't let me interrupt your daily stretches, Stilinski, just don't smack me with a flying limb, and we'll be fine."

"Steph! Hello there, hey, hi." _Here we go._ I thought as he started his usual ramble of a greeting.

"If you're being repetitive because you're about to apologize for _Jackson_ being...well Jackson, please don't." I rolled my eyes. "I'm already well aware of the high levels of dickwad in his system."

"H-right." Stiles clamped his mouth shut, pointing towards his best friend. "Scott's got a question for you though, so there will be talking involved in today's interaction, just maybe not by me, but by Scott, with his question."

I nodded slowly, turning to face the other boy. He had what I could only explain as his kicked puppy face on. The one where his eyes get just a hint glassy, and his mouth is turned into a frown that's just barely not pouted. It didn't help that he had such floppy hair and big brown eyes. I felt myself wanting to scratch at the back of his head, but remembered that he wasn't an actual puppy, and avoided the request from being made altogether.

"Yes, I'll cover your shift tonight." It was the question, and answer all at. I waved my hand up and down at his face. "That's what all this is for, right?"

"I swear this is the last time! It's just that Allison's got this thing and-"

"I thought you guys broke up?" I interrupted, confused. "I didn't even know you were still _talking_ and now you're on the plus one list for family funerals?"

"Well, no...I was just, uh, going as a friend..." He fumbled. "You know not with her or anything."

"That sounds like stalking, Scott." I looked between the two boys. "And I expected more from you, but with your choice in company, I'm also not surprised."

"Hey, what is that supposed to-" Stiles protested, but I held up a hand to shut him up.

"Shut it, Police Scanner, the adults with _actual jobs_ are talking." I didn't even look at him, my focus on Scott. "As much as I don't condone said perceived stalking, what you do in your free time while I get more money is none of my business. So like I said, yeah, I'll cover you."

"You're the best Steph, I owe you big." He relaxed, seeming to ignore everything else I said. "Really, I do, I'll take some double shifts if I need to."

"Okay, let's not go making promises we can't keep." I laughed, noticing the look on my neighbor's face. "And yes Stiles, I know about your police scanner. No, my mom hasn't told me anything about any naked Jane Does arriving at Eichen, and no I am not going to be volunteering my services to look for the aforementioned naked teen, since I have conveniently got plans tonight. Besides, Miss It isn't so, well it, anymore. Everyone knows that she's fallen down the ladder recently."

I watched as he opened his mouth only to shut it again, his jaw swiveling in annoyance. "You gonna predict anything else today, McGrath? I mean you might as well, since you're on such a roll and everything." He always did get mad at my inane ability to know where his curiosity was taking him. "Or you like the sound of your own voice, I can't quite tell today."

"That is mean and hurtful, but as a matter of fact, I think I will make another prediction." I eyed our teacher as he prepared his notes before the bell. "I bet you five bucks that Harris is going to say something that would normally be considered verbal abuse and have him fired, but it's Beacon Hills and he has tenure."

"You know despite how specific you got about what he could do, I still don't know where you're going with this." He shook his head, eyeing my raised hand if is deciding whether or not it was dangerous. "I mean, you're gonna have to be a bit more specific than that, I mean I'm not gonna just throw my money away for any old Harris barb."

"Fine." I leaned back crossing my arms. "He's going to say something to _you_ regarding detention, or maiming you."

There was a wrinkle in his nose as he thought, looking to Scott, who just shrugged like he didn't want to be a part of it. " _Alright_ , but don't you go instigating anything."

I clasped my hand to my chest. "Oh, Malakai Stilinski, you hurt me again, I am wounded! Never would I ever cheat on a bet."

"You very well would, and you know that's not my name." He grumbled, pulling a balled up five from his pocket and placing it on the table. "Now show your cash."

"Oh I know." I pulled out my own bill, neatly folded in half, from my pocket. "I'm going to go through every name that starts with M that I can think of until I'm right."

"Yeah good luck with that. Let me know if you find out Greenberg's while you're at it." He scoffed. "I don't even know how you got the M to begin with..."

"When I'm given the roster for the team, it gives first initials and last names. Though you wouldn't know that, since you've never been highlighted for me to tutor." I explained, tilting my head in thought. "Greenberg however, is scratched out in angry red ink."

"Not a surprise, just ask you friend." Scott said, making me look had him. "She's dating him, right?"

"Ugh, you know the sad thing, is she doesn't even know? Also, I highly doubt what they're doing would constitute as dating." I bleached, shaking my head of the memory of yelled at for said activity happening in certain offices. "I've been trying to bleach the details out of my head. Coach really needs to get us straight, we aren't even _related_ , not to mention she's half a foot shorter than me."

Stiles' lips twitched along with his furrowed brow as he was about to ask 'what kind of details' or mock me about my height, but the bell rang, and Harris was nothing if not prompt.

"Before collecting your homework, we're going to see just how many of you actually _did_ the assignment." He doled small papers to each table with a sinister grin. "Clear the desks, we're going to have a pop quiz."

I let out a small whimper, putting my things back in my bag and shaking my pencil between my fingers. Yup, definitely met my expectations. I gave a saccharine smile at the teacher as he gave me and the boys our quizzes, hoping that I had retained what I read. My mom has really been cracking down on my chem and math scores, and Harris was making it damn near impossible. I glumly reviewed the short quiz, but relaxed slightly upon notice that it was all the things I knew. As I started to work on it, I was distracted by the sound of whispering next to me. I looked over at Stiles as he ignored his paper, and continued to speak to Scott in hushed tones.

"What if the next body part she steals is from someone who's still alive?" _Man Stiles needs to work on his whispering skills. How have I not figured out what they're up to at this point?_

"Hey guys," I felt my curiosity get the best of me as I leaned towards the middle of the table. "Why are you talking about-"

I didn't even get to finish the inquisition and Harris was aware of our voices. Not that I was surprised, we were in a speaking in a silent room where no one else dared. Sharp eyes darted towards us behind rectangular glasses, a stony expression across his face. I gulped, and looked down at my quiz, frantically pretending I didn't disturb the din.

"This is a pop quiz, Mr. Stilinski. If I hear your voice again, I may be tempted to give you both detention for the rest of your high school careers. Well, make that all _three_ of your careers, don't think I missed your voice too Ms. McGrath."

We just sat there, slack jawed for a few seconds, but then Stiles decided to use his usual, if comical, flare for sarcasm and wit. _This is going to be good._

"Can you _do_ that?"

"Nice, really nice Mitchell _._ " I hissed, snatched the fives from the table, and looked back at my desk. "How profound of you. "

"There it is again. Your voice. Triggering the only impulse I've ever had to strike a student repeatedly and violently. I'll see you at 3 for detention." He tilted his head, noting my movement and comment, while simultaneously remembering that Stiles was talking to Scott. "You too, Mr. McCall? Ms. McGrath?"

Scott and I shook our heads saying, 'No, sir,' in unison making Jackson and Danny laugh from behind us. I found myself muttering about how that should be another five since he also threatened his physical health, but did it over my paperwork to avoid the teacher's wrath. I was met with a jerk to the shoulder. However, it ended up coming from the other side of the table as Jackson ran out of the room clutching his nose. I paused, my hand raised midway, my slap now seeming useless. And this, along with the glare I got at the incorrect naming, was why they were only tenuous friends.


	2. After School Horror

As soon as I was home, I set to distract myself quickly, dispensing of the dishes Danny washed, and washing the ones leftover from the day. The house was empty for the mid-evening. Mom had to be doing some errands before work, and my brother had work after his classes today, but should be home any minute. That left me to figure out if I was cooking, or if we were going out for dinner. Upon opening the fridge, however, I decided that it was out for dinner, and doing some grocery shopping after.

I grabbed one of the notebooks I kept in my bag at all times, and flipped to the first blank page, scrawling out the label across the top: Shopping List (Danny and Steph). Reopening the fridge, I took stock of what we had, and wrote down what was needed, doing the same in the freezer and cabinets. I was looking to see if there was anything that Momhad put on the bulletin board when Danny came in, a frown on his face. Out of the corner of my eye I could see he looked tired, but also confused at my current state.

"Shouldn't you be curled up in the living room doing homework for next week?" He teased, trying to hide his concern by pulling at my scrub top. "Or did you just get home too?"

"Last minute Hail Mary during Chem." I answered, passing him the list while I took down the various notes on the board that were no longer needed. "Anything else need to go on that?"

"I take it Ma left the fridge empty before work again?"

I nodded, pulling my hair into a messy bun to get it out of my face. "Yeah, though if you ask her it's probably because I woke her this morning. Not that the coffee she had would affect her sleep schedule at all, but that I woke her and she needed rest before pulling another graveyard shift. Do you think we'll be able to swing all of that? I have the bare essentials starred if we can't."

"Don't worry about it, Kiddo, won that commuter scholarship I told you about, and my paycheck cleared." He passed me the list, a lazy smile stretching across his face. "Besides, Mom mentioned needing us to grab a few things, which I'm guessing you just pulled from the board, and gave me money for them."

I nodded, running to my room to change out of my work clothes really quick, and exchange my bulky backpack for a purse. Danny more or less did the same, the two of us meeting in the hallway when we were finished. Looking tired, he tossed me the keys, and went to the kitchen to grab our stash of recycle bags. I grabbed my water bottle from the table and took a swig of it before we were out the door.

We spent the short car ride arguing over music, and figuring out where we wanted to eat. I was all for just a classic burger and fry meal, but Danny said he needed a drink after the day he'd had. I muttered something to the same tune, and got cuffed behind the ear. Smirking, I pulled in to a happy medium: Applebee's.

We sat at the bar so Danny could watch the game, and I pulled out my English Book. The two of us did this often, and had a set pattern of things. We'd split an app, order our food, and sometimes get desert, putting off the chore of groceries as long as we could. Not because we didn't want to do it, we actually prefer having control over what we ate, but rather in hopes that Mom would ask where we were and wire us money. Today was different since she already gave it to us, but why mess with a system that isn't broken?

I let out a sigh, finding Kafka exceedingly dull, and put it back in my bag. Switching it to my journal I moved towards my 'to do' list with curiosity at how late I'll be up tonight. I wasn't hired to run any emergency tutoring sessions this week, but a couple players did ask me to write up a study guide for some of the midterms. Math was all set, and I did Chemistry during lulls at work, so all that I really had to worry about was my history homework and the chapters I struggled to read. I watched as my brother turned, an eyebrow arched open while the other was scrunched down in confusion.

"I'm hitting the part of the semester where I don't have enough work to keep me busy. And what work I do have isn't exactly keeping my attention." I explained, dragging my straw in lazy circles within my soda. "I'm a sophomore, but I feel like I have senioritis."

"That's probably because the pressure Mom puts on you to have the better grades, you're essentially a senior." He huffed, running a hand through his hair. He always felt that I got too much pushed on me after the divorce, but there was nothing either of us could do about it. "Besides, you should be having fun, like I used to...instead you work too many jobs and take online classes to help the inadequate staff do their job. You're seventeen, and she treats you like you're an adult mooching off her house."

Not wanting to get too far into it, I decided to change the subject. "I wouldn't be working at the clinic as much if Scott actually came to work. Instead of him and Stilinski running off doing whatever it is those two do."

Instead, his expression darkened, any mirth from my comment lost in his aggravation. "Don't get me started on them." He frowned, downing his drink quickly. "They're lucky I don't have Jackassmore's parents sue them for emotional distress on your part."

I bit my lip, "Well, I'd want to know where you could afford to keep them on retainer. Besides, not everyone is like us, ya know? I mean yeah, they both have single parents like us, but they don't have siblings to lean on. They have each other and the years upon years they've known each other."

"I fail to see how that is your problem, yet you are the one who gets all the calls to cover for them in class or work." He clearly wasn't going to let this go anytime soon. "Are they even your friends, Steph? Where were they at the winter formal when you had no one to go with? Where were they when Dad left? They only come to you if you need something and even then they don't return the favor."

I found myself nodding slowly, knowing that he was right, but unsure of where to go forward in the conversation. Between whatever was happening with Allison and Lydia, lacrosse, and who knows what it was causing them to miss classes, they have been a bit MIA lately. Stiles I wasn't too surprised by, he was always flighty, it was Scott that confounded me. He was pretty reliable and willing to work on making things equal, but lately he's seemed to have forgotten the real world. Overall, I didn't mind covering as much as I put on, but it was still concerning that Scott was missing so much; Classes, work, tutoring sessions. The last couple of months have been crazy, but it wasn't like I could just cuff him upside the head and ask what was happening. I wish that we were close enough that I could bring something up, but instead, I was just a person you talked to at work or school, but never outside of it. I was an acquaintance of convenience.

The waitress swung by with a twirl of her hips giving Danny a smile as she gave him a refill along with our buffalo wings. I could feel his eyes burning into the side of my face as he waited for me to tell him he was wrong, but couldn't. Instead, I ordered his usual meal and my burger, thanking her before slowly dragging my eyes to meet his. What can I do? What can I say? I waited until the disappointed waitress left, upset she was ignored and only answered by me if she had questions.

"Look, I don't know if you've noticed, Dan, but I'm not the one who makes friends." I started, motioning to the fact I was out with my older brother. "If anything, I feel like I'm a burden on everyone. You, mom, I dunno, being needed by them makes me feel like I have a place here."

"Fucking bitch needs to treat you better." He mumbled around the rim of his glass. "If I knew I could take care of us, I'd cart you off somewhere and leave her far behind."

"I wouldn't let you." I pointed out, a small smile on my face. "You're going to finish school and you're gonna get out of here. Me? I'm stuck her for another two to six years. I can't make you wait for me."

There was no judgment on his face, just sad acceptance. "You can't make me do anything, kiddo. I'm too stubborn to be without you."

"I know, dumby." I smiled, feeling the tension leave my body. "Now can we stop having such a sappy dinner and just eat our beef like a grown man and woman?"

"Too bad we're still waiting on the Beef and only have this chicken, Sport."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

The next couple of days went pretty simply then. Dan helped me to do my own things, and I worked on getting what I could out of my supposed friends. They were tight lipped, as to be expected, but it was good to hear that Lydia was going to be back soon. Maybe then some of the social order will go back to normal. Scott and Stiles were still idiots, but I found myself doing the bare minimum for them.

I unlocked my bike and headed towards the house after school that friday with a shake of my head. I had my own things to worry about. I had tests and midterms coming up, Harris to please, pulling my own weight at the house with my family, and tutoring to do. Not to mention Meg needed my help with one of the kid's she watches birthday. I couldn't be the Nancy Drew to their Hardy Boys even if I wanted to. If they didn't have time for me, I certainly didn't have time for them.

I sighed, paying no particular attention to the route I was taking. I knew all the pathways to the house from the clinic or the school at this point, so it didn't really matter anyway. The night was cool, and the breeze was gentle enough where I didn't really care how long it took me to get home. We never really had a curfew, and Danny would call if Mom asked. Something I'd be surprised about, really. She's so used to my hectic schedule, she's surprised more often when I am home than not.

I altered between walking and actually pedaling on the bike, taking care on busy streets or areas that weren't paved well. One of the few good things about a town where nothing really happens means that bike rides and walks around the county were a safe and totally normal thing to do. I just followed twists and turns, the light growing dimmer in gradients that I didn't notice until I ran out of path to bike. There was no longer pavement, but gravel under my feet. It crunched under my shoes as I stood up, kicking the stand out. I gulped as I looked at the well known wooden sign and chain. The small parking area was empty, and the night sky was darker than I remembered. My backpack fell from my shoulders with a resounding thud, the homework that was piled in there forgotten. I bit my bottom lip as I looked in anticipation.

I don't' know what it was about the preserves lately, but everything, even my dreams, pointed to it. And now, my subconscious decided it was time to figure it out. I shuffled back and forth, wondering if I should go in. They'll be worried at home, sure, but I'll just say I went for a walk somewhere else. What if Scott or Stiles called needing my help, and why did I think about that first?

I sighed, pushing myself out of my comfort zone and stepped into the woods. My eyes had already adjusted to the nighttime light, so I was able to see the shape of the trees around me, and avoid most of the bramble as I struggled to stay on the path for a while. I didn't even know what I was looking for, just that the key was the forested off area. I don't know how long I walked, but soon, I didn't care, my body taking over as I wandered the woods. I looked around and tried to find any clearings that looked familiar in my dream Monday morning, but the details were kind of foggy to me. It didn't help that everything seemed to look the same at the moment.

Leaves scattered on the ground, making the pathway hard to find again to begin with. The trees were all half bare and stretched into the sky, casting dark streaks of darkness through the moonlight. I lost all track of time, and space as I found myself looking for something, _anything_ to help explain my dream from last night and what this place had to do with it. Just as I thought I'd come across it, I felt a hand brush against my shoulder, causing me to jump around and swing. Too bad I was more of a student than a fighter because my hand got caught by a calloused hand.

"Still can't beat me, Kiddo," the voice belonging to the hand rumbled out. "Care to tell me why you weren't answering your phone?"

" _Danny,_ " I sighed, falling into him as I tried to calm my nerves. "Thank goodness it's you!"

"Yeah, you're damn right." He snapped, pulling my back by the shoulders before leaning to make eye contact. "What the _hell_ are you doing out here at this hour?"

"What do you mean, at this hour, I only got out of work ten minutes or so ago." I protested dumbly, not wanting to know how he found me or why he thought he needed to. "Besides it's Friday night, shouldn't you be out partying with your college buddies?"

"I was." He stated, straightening up as he went to rub at his face. "Then I came home and thought I'd find you asleep, but your bike was gone and when I called your phone it didn't light up anywhere. Ma still has a few hours at work, so I decided to look for you."

My eyes widened at the confession, squinting to look at his watch. It was eleven thirty: I'd been wandering the woods for over three hours. "Oh shit I'm-"

"You're lucky I worry so much is what you are." He sighed, scratching at the back of his head with an agitated expression. "Who knows what would have happened to you out here? Steph there have been all sorts of animal attacks lately- I mean have you been paying attention to the news?"

"Pshaw" I scoffed, pushing at the air with my arm to play things off. "I'm fine."

"Really?" Our matching eyes faced each other. Mine concealed my panic at what I'd done while his were wide and shifting with worry. I watched as his eyebrows arched upwards, slowly taking inventory of any wounds I might've gotten. "You didn't have your phone and your first instinct was to throw a terribly grounded punch?"

"Well...I didn't know how far away you were." I argued, knowing that he'd taught me better. "I would have put up a proper fight if it wasn't-"

"ME? I'm sorry you were going to say if it wasn't ME?" I jumped back as he raised his voice. "Because there was no way you could have known it was me Stephanie."

I was going to say something, but he wasn't done yet, gesturing behind us with a hastily thrown arm. "A few more minutes and you would have been by the Hale house! You know, where a family burned to death, they found _half_ the body of another, and Derek Hale still lives to tell the story even after a _second_ fire. Damn it Steph, you're smarter than this."

We stood there in silence after that. Every time I opened my mouth to say something, I predicted what he would say in response. I was the one who had been out in the forest, but Danny was the wild animal that you had to tiptoe around in order to approach him. His eyes were still wide, his face red as he took some steadying breaths to calm himself down. In the silence, I got a better look at my brother. His shirt was splattered with wet spots, so he probably had just done the dishes and realized what time it was before he drove out here. His eyes were squinting in the dark as I realized he'd been using his flashlight to see everything, and his hair was spiked up and ruffled. I really scared him this time. He had this look on his face that was similar to when he didn't know which hat to wear; the parent or the big brother.

"I'm sorry Danny, okay? I had this really weird dream the other night, and then with the talk we had about having fun and doing things for me-" I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I was walking home and I just ended up here. I didn't even _mean_ to be out here so long. I should have grabbed my phone, I know, but I wasn't thinking at the time."

My words were useless, simply thrown into the air as he dared me to try again. I was running out of options. I'd done a number on him and there was little to nothing that I could do to fix it. So I would owe him big time, which will help smooth things, but to get us home, and out of this lecture, I needed the big guns. And so I used them.

I pulled out _The Look_. It wasn't as good as Scott's puppy face, but I knew it would win my brother over. I pleaded against his unrelenting stare for as long as it would take. My lower lip protruding from under the top one while his lay in line with each other. My eyes widened where his were narrowed, brows spread instead of scrunched. I countered his crossed arms with my hands clasped together in front of me. Right when I thought he wouldn't give in, I threw in a couple bats of the eyelashes, which always did the charm. With a shake of the head, he tossed his arm over my shoulders, his squeeze a little harder than usual. It was as if he needed to make sure I was actually there and okay before he could let out a breath.

"Yeah well..." He sighed, starting to pull me forward. "Just be more careful, okay?"

"I _promise_. No more night walks, and if I feel the need, I'll call you first." I vowed, letting him lead me back towards the entrance. "By the way, was my bike actually still there when you got here? I kind of just tossed it aside. Also... how did you find me?"

"Course it was," He said, pointing his flashlight towards a small indent in the leaves. "I used your phone to track down here you were. Then I just wandered until I found you."

I groaned as we reached the path, throwing my head back in disgust. "You GPSed me?! I thought we agreed that you weren't going to do that because it was a breach of privacy."

"But then you decided you were going to keep covering night shifts at work and then tonight happened." He said pointedly. "So you should be less angry and more thankful that I did it anyway."

"I hate you so much right now." I grumbled.

"No you don't." he responded, pausing when we both heard rustling in the trees behind us. "But you should get behind me."

I did as I was told, my night vision gone due to his light. "Why...What is it?"

"I don't know." He said, holding his finger to shush me. We stood still for a few minutes, crickets chirping in chorus around us. Finally turning back to me, my brother fixed me with a shrug. "Probably just a coyote or something."

I nodded. "Right just a coyote or something."

He laughed at my reiteration, whatever worries he had gone in his amusement. "And this is why you don't go wandering out in the woods alone. Especially this late at night."

"I thought we were past this, and decided I was an idiot." I whined. "No more night walks unless I have my Handy Danny with me. Now get us out of here."

The false bravado in my voice wasn't as convincing as his was, but then again, he was used to these surroundings. He used to go camping out here with Camden all the time while I spent the night at Lahey's or Isaac would stay with us depending on which parents went out. As for me, I barely went out here during the day.

We continued to move forward, hoping that whatever followed us would find its way back where it came from. I felt myself tense up, knowing it was probably something stupid like a rabbit, not even a coyote, but also worried about what it was. As an attempt to cover up my lost night vision, I grew even more aware of our crunching steps and breathing. My ears strained to hear something, anything that would indicate we were alone again. The whole time, I clutched onto Danny's arm nervously. This only earned me additional teasing, and mutterings of how I was 'definitely lucky' that he found me. The path started to look more well trod, and I picked up the pace, hoping to just go home and sleep. I was tired and really needed to rest if I was going to get any homework done tomorrow. We were just about to reach the entrance when the rustling came back, this time closer, and sounding a lot bigger than a mere rabbit.

I turned to look, but something really big rushed by me, pulling me from Danny and causing me to fall to the ground. I heard him yell, but I couldn't get up. It felt like my body was trapped within itself. I couldn't tell if it was the adrenaline and fear stopping me or something else. I couldn't make anything out since the flashlight fell pointing at me, but I could hear the struggle. Fists were making contact and there was a whipping sound.

I squinted in the light, my heart ready to rip itself out of my chest. I wondered fleetingly if this was what it felt like to have a heart attack. However, my mind pushed that thought again, as I continued to hear the grunts and growls as Danny fought off whatever was attacking me. Everything blocked out to three things. My heart pounding, the fight off in the distance, and the flashlight causing me to see spots. My body still not doing anything I willed it to do.

That's when it got quiet. Too Quiet.

Heart still pounding.

Flashlight still burning my retinas even as I tried to blink it away.

Did I go deaf? Where was the wind, where was my brother?

After what felt like an eternity of silence, I was able to roll onto my stomach, swatting the light away.

"D-Dan?" I choked out. "Danny are you okay?"

I could hear my own voice, so that means he had to be there, right? That whatever attacked us was gone? But if that was the case, why didn't he come over to me? Was he hurt? Too many questions filled my head and my neck hurt from the fall. Picking up the flashlight, I carefully moved it around to get my surroundings. Danny was a few yards away, his breathing erratic. I gulped, trying to make sure the close was clear before crawling over to him.

"Danny…" I whispered, noticing that he wasn't moving and that there was a lot of blood. "Danny please say something."

I'd reached his shoulder now, my body still sluggish and heavy. He jumped when I touched him gently, lips pulling into a quick grin of relief before it twisted into a grimace.

"S-Steph-ffff" He gasped, holding onto his stomach with a gasp. "Steph I need you to get in the car. The keys are still in the ignition, or they should be."

"Don't." I begged. "Don't you dare tell me to leave you, it's my fault you're out here, the least I can do is call an ambulance to get you out of here."

"You d-don't ph-phone, remember?" He was struggling to talk now, but he needed to tell me. "Mine got lost in the fight. You get to the car, and if you have to you call 911 on your phone. We're not too far from the entrance, you can make it."

The rustling came back, and I could hear the sounds of more than one person making its way to us. Whatever attacked us came back with company. Danny kept trying to get me to leave, but I was frozen, this time completely due to the fear. I couldn't see the second figure, but the first one was slowly stalking over, not even slightly hindered by my weak toss of the flashlight.

I don't know what happened first, my scream or the shadow with the yellow yes letting out a bone-shaking screech as it approached, and Danny yelling out my name.

Derek was looking after his newest ward when he felt an intense stab at his mind. A hand when to his stomach, fingers slick with blood that wasn't there and a pain that wasn't his. Despite being in the musty station, the earthy smell of the reserve caked in his nostrils, enveloping him in a dirt. Even as he blinked to straighten himself out, he would occasionally see an unfamiliar redhead glancing down at him in concern. A panic rose in his chest along with a surge of protective instinct that was reserved his betta(s) or family. A name sluggishly worked its way through the haze before the connection was lost, making Derek more confused than ever.

 _Stephanie…_

The episode was over before he could decipher its meaning, making the alpha gasp as his body was released back into his own control. It had been years since he felt anything like that, and he only knew of one person within range of him that would be doing it. An easy smile and pale blue eyes danced in the foreground of his mind, an old chuckle from happier days tickling at his throat. It all felt so foriegn now, with bitter pang of regret cutting through the nostalgia. He didn't even get a chance to unpack anything from the last five minutes however, since his phone began to buzz in the pocket of his jacket. Slipping a hand down the worn leather, he didn't even bother looking at the caller ID, bringing the device straight to his face.

"Conall." The forced smile disappeared as he remembered he wasn't being seen. "Been a while."

"Don't get cute with me, Boy. You may be Talia's kid, but if you don't keep your word to me I'll break mine to hers." The answer was brusque and laced with meaning, making Derek wince slightly. "You and yours would protect mine, and I'd hide our goings on from the law."

"I'm aware of this, Con." Derek grit out, bitter at the lack of trust. "As you know, things haven't exactly been a cakewalk here."

"Oh, I am sure, your family was never subtle." The comment wasn't an opinion, but a statement of fact. "But even with all of that, I shouldn't be waking to episodes like this."

"Oh, so you're local." He pinched his forehead between his fingers. "Or he didn't selectively project. It just passed through me too, but don't worry; I'm on my way there now. I'll call you when I figure out what happened."

"I'll hear from Daniel what happened myself, it's my daughter I'm worried about." There was a heavy sigh that came with the burden of protection. "Involving Tess will just make things worse, I don't want her to find out through trauma."

"You know better than anyone that such things are out of our control." The younger man glanced across the station at the teenager that was currently going through the very same thing. "But I'll do what I can."

"Fine. Have Daniel call me as soon as he can."

"Fine."

Both men hung up their phones without further word, the Hale making his way to the forest to save someone who wanted nothing from him. He also realized that he was also shielding another who knew nothing of him and the connection between their families.

I awoke with a start, my muscles protesting against the sudden burst of motion and my voice screaming my brother's name. My heart rate accelerated in panic, quickly looking around to find him. Instead of the cold, dark forest, I found myself sprawled on my bed, the dim rays sunlight flooding my room. My Phone lay charging on my desk across from me, and my backpack sat on the floor. Everything looked so normal until I looked at my side table to find a bottle of water and aspirin next to my clock, the letters too hazy for me to fully make out at the moment.

Just seeing the items made my throat cry out in thirst and my for all sorts of muscle aches to encompass my body and head. Blinking away the fog from just waking up, I took the pills and downed the water. I needed to find Danny, needed to figure out what happened last night and how long I'd been out for. I focused on the clock again, this time reading the bright red display. If it wasn't for the sunlight in my room I would think it was broken. The lights spelled out that it was three in the afternoon.

Before I could process any of that, Danny burst into my room, nearly tumbling over himself as he stopped abruptly to see that I was fine, or at least looked it.

"Jesus, kid, what's with the yelling?" He held his chest to slow panic that I could see in his eyes. As he took a couple of breaths, I noticed that he was freshly showered, and looked totally fine. "You're lucky Mom's working a double, or she'd have killed you."

"I'm more worried about what happened last night." I frowned, trying to remember all of the details, as I moved to sit up. "And why I'm not at school right now."

"You didn't fall asleep until around four this morning, so I turned your alarm off. My classes were canceled, and like I said, mom was working a double, so I figured it'd be fine." He shrugged, his voice shaking slightly. "Nothing to worry about, just Big Bro being a bother again."

"But...But we were in the reserve and-" I stopped myself, trying to think of the last thing I remembered. "We were heading to your car a-and something came out of nowhere. You were _bleeding_."

Danny sighed, sitting next to me before placing a hand on my knee. "I don't know what you're talking about, Steph, you came home from work and you went straight to your room making those study guides." He searched my face as I surveyed my desk to see the meticulous notes sitting on my printer. "Whatever you think happened, must have been a dream, and a bad one at that, since I'm fine."

"No, I-I wandered off on my way home." I insisted, thinking of how my mind was a blank when I left Deaton yesterday. "Lost track of time, until you found me. I even tried to punch you."

He chuckled at that, amusement stretching across his face. "You, being violent? That's how I _know_ it can't be real."

"I'm serious, Dan!" I exclaimed, looking down at my scrubs, and the dirt that was smudged along the knees. "If I was home all night, then why am I all muddy?"

"You're a klutz by nature, but I didn't think you'd forget things that easily." He shrugged. "You were getting off your bike, and got tilted off balance with the metric Ton of stuff you keep in your bag. I laughed, you pouted, and I made you a sundae for dinner. Typical stuff, Sis."

"It felt so real though…" I trailed off, starting to doubt myself. If my brother was here, perfectly unharmed, and insisting that it wasn't true, I had to believe him, right? "I haven't had a dream that intense in a while."

"Happens when you crash out from sugar and Adderall." He got up then, giving my knee a quick squeeze. "Get up, take a shower, I'll make an early dinner, and I'll help you with your schoolwork. Ma will never find out, and you won't have to worry about missing a day of school this close to midterms."

"Yeah...sure." I mumbled, sluggishly getting up to grab a change of clothes. "But it still doesn't make sense."

I stood under the hot water, struggling to remember the last twelve hours. I was caught between what I thought I saw and the facts that tied into what Danny said. I was pretty tired after work, and I get into an autopilot when I am studying, vague outlines of books from class tugging at the back of my mind. It didn't explain the panic I felt when I woke up though, it was as if I was only just experiencing those things, or at least fresh in my mind. Then again, the night before I had that weird dream about me and Isaac, so there was no telling what happened. I needed to eat something, and figure this out.

I didn't realize how long I'd stayed there until the water suddenly went cold, sending a shock to my system. Jumping slightly, I turned off the water and toweled off quickly, wrapping myself in fuzzy pants and one of my Dad's old hoodies. Soon, I joined Danny in the kitchen, trying to put the dream behind me. I had to believe my brother, right? I mean everything he said was certainly true to my personality, and I have definitely lost time during some of the more mundane homework assignments.

Even as I dismissed it, the doubt still snagged at the back of my mind, forming in a photonegative of eyes with slanted pupils coming toward me.

Daniel McGrath was many things, a liar being the one he was least proud of. When he had dinner with his little sister the other night, he had seriously considered telling her the truth. The secret to why their parents split, to why Tess was a nutcase. Then as a ghost from his past came and saved their asses, leaving him to stew in her ignorance. With this new threat looming over them, he knew that he should ignore his parents' wishes and help her to prepare. But he also knew his sister and how heavy she was keyed into people's emotions.

Granted the very reason for that was what had him in this issue to begin with. Of course there were episodes that he had to cover; Tess said too much one day, Steph stumbled upon something they hadn't properly hidden. This though? This was an entirely different beast.

He felt himself chuckle at the unintended pun, it turning into a groan of shame. How could he be thinking of that right now, when his little sister could have been killed tonight? Even without all of the supernatural reasons, her disappearing into the reserves was unusual. She was a good kid, she didn't go out often, she worked to help with the house, and she did well in school. So when he looked at the clock to see that her shift had been over for hours and he'd heard nothing from her, he panicked. Finding her bike and things tossed aside in the Reserve didn't help things.

He'll admit that for the interaction he held with her upon finding her made him impressed with his restraint. It took a lot out of him to not pull out all of his abilities with the fight. He was going to have a lot of explaining to do without adding that element to it. He did make sure that he could call for help, almost immediately regretting who answered it. Though, upon seeing his sister's hand covered in his blood, he was able to push it down.

Now, he watched as she pretended to accept what he said without a shadow of a doubt. He had made sure to not make their mother aware of what happened, knowing that she couldn't handle it, but he did talk to their father and have a lengthy conversation about going against Tess' wishes and preparing Steph for the world that hid underneath the mundane Beacon County. Though they'd reluctantly came to the conclusion to keep her unaware, the younger man couldn't help but make himself a promise to do whatever it takes to prepare Steph for what was coming. If her friends were any indication; she was going to find out sooner rather than later anyway.


	3. After Effects

12

The next couple of days plagued me with dreams that had what I thought I remembered warring against Danny's narrative.

Fear, paralysis, and the overwhelming urge to make sure my brother was still even alive cut through me in icy flashes. I knew it couldn't be fake, those emotions couldn't have been lies. Even if my mind was playing tricks on me during the day, shouldn't still be doing this to my subconscious. That's where the truth, repressed or not should be. I tried to get more information, even thought I found Danny's shirt from that night scrubbed but still slightly browned from dry blood, but I was shot down every time. My brother's story stayed the same, with remarks about having better things to worry about. I would insist, but eventually, there was something in Danny's tone that made me give up trying.

But I didn't stop thinking about it. I'd become obsessed and stopped sleeping. It was bad enough that I was starting to get others worried. Meg was giving me sleeping tips as well as advice on how to avoid nightmares while offering to sleep over during the week. I politely declined, but it didn't stop the worried crinkle in her brow whenever I yawned in class. Scott offered to take a few shifts for me to get my mind off whatever was bothering me, blaming himself for putting so much on me, which I told him wasn't the issue. Stiles even tried to help me pay attention in class, only to realize I was more prepared than him for the reviews. Still, there was no escaping it as I found myself idly doodling slanted eyes, and would randomly find myself unable to move, panic filling me in mini attacks throughout the week.

Something wasn't adding up with Danny, and I couldn't talk to Mom about it, because, well I don't really know why. All I knew that she just wouldn't understand. More like she wouldn't believe me, but still. Overall, it was a bad week for sleeping, and the fact that my brother seemed totally unaffected by it was driving me nuts.

I yawned, shouldering my bag as I finished up a shift at the clinic nearly a week later. I couldn't help but wonder if I was ever going to any real sleep at this point. Rubbing at my eyes, I raised my other hand in a wave, barely looking as I walked toward the door.

"Have a good night, Dr. Deaton!"

"You too, Stephanie, be careful getting home." Came the reply in a voice so soothing I almost drifted off where I stood. "And maybe get some rest?"

"I'm not too far, and I'm not driving." I assured him, turning to give a small smile at the face poking around the corner. "And I'll do my best, midterms might get in the way though."

"Alright, give your Mother my best." He conceded, retreating into the examination room after I gave a small nod, effectively ending the conversation.

Leaving the Animal Clinic, I looked upward and out into the overcast sky. The clouds and air threatened rain, but hopefully I'd make it home first. Thinking about Deaton's request, I thought back to the last time I'd talked to my mother. She'd been busy this week, looking more tired than usual in the mornings, if she even got up before we left. Danny even mentioned that she had been pulling twenty-four-hour days, only coming home for a shower and change of clothes. At least I knew that my work ethic was from both sides of the tree and not just one. Danny on the other hand, seemed to have a break from school and work, constantly being home whenever I am.

As if knowing that I was thinking about him, I got a text from my brother asking if I wanted anything from the local diner on his way to the house. I frowned, knowing he was going to quiz me into a coma again like he'd been doing all week to help me prep for midterms, though I had a feeling it was to prevent me to from questioning him. My brain was still sluggish from all the math and chemistry we did last night, so I declined fast food, instead requesting caffeine in whatever form he'd get me before pulling my bike from the rack. From there, I just focused on getting home, only pausing when the wind, pulling over to untie my hoodie from my waist. I slipped on the sleeves, shivering as the cold fabric moved over my bare arms. It was when I went to pull the hood over my head that I saw Isaac.

Any bemusement I felt about the situation was cut off by a realization that he was biking way more frantically than someone trying to escape the impending rain. He also was riding away from his house instead of toward it.

 _That's strange…_ I felt my hands clench around my handlebars. Then, without even thinking about it, I stood on my pedals to get myself a running start. I'm not sure why I was doing things, given that I was still haunted by my last detour, but still I went, pedaling harder when I caught a car following us. We were starting to move away from the direction of my house, but I kept going anyway. Then he checked behind him and I saw it; a look of absolute terror across his face that shook me to my core. I could feel myself tense up and glance around in a panic. In my sweep, I saw something that caused my eyes to widen in confusion and awe. _Why was Isaac running away from his father…or better yet, why was Mr. Lahey_ chasing _him?_

Fighting past my own trepidations, I found myself slowing slightly, placing myself between the two Laheys. I don't know what kind of buffer I was hoping to provide, but it seemed to work, the car unsure of which biker to follow. It was when Isaac turned down an alley that I knew the jig was up, and followed, jumping off my bike to avoid hitting his abandoned one. As I made my way down the dark pathway, my brain seemed to finally catch up with my actions, causing me to rapidly question what the hell I was thinking following Isaac as he ran away from his only family. I mean, yes, we're still friends; and yes, I still may care, but yesterday's conversation wasn't really an invitation to enter whatever kind of situation this was.

"Isaac?" I finally whispered, wringing my hands in my sleeves as I broke the silence. "Hey, it's Steph, I saw you biking and-" _And what? You decided to follow him because he looked like he was losing an unfair game of tag?_ "Look, I just want to make sure you're okay. Isaac?"

My response was the squealing of tires as Mr. Lahey finally caught up to us. Not wanting to be caught, I ducked behind a dumpster, peering around the corner to keep an eye on everything. And then the rain hit, adding the challenge of not reacting to it. As it grew in intensity, I started to lose visibility, which made doubt set into my bones. Maybe I'd misread the situation? Maybe I should avoid making a scene and leave? Maybe I could just walk out, and everything will be fine, just say I was caught in the rain or something. Maybe we could even all ride back to my house, and they could go on their merry way, not hard feelings. A thousand maybes swam through my head, but I could feel deep within myself the absolutes; I was in too deep at this point.

I gulped, shaking my head clear of the false hope. I know what I was feeling, forget how or why, but I felt it: Pure Anger against Unbridled Fear. I focused on the opening of the alley, the creak of the car door pulling my attention back to what was happening. I could just barely see the man that was without a doubt Isaac's father step out. I felt my head go in circles as I tried to justify this situation. Had what I mentioned to Isaac a week ago been right? Were my dad's accusations the reality? Maybe this was way we stopped talking to them all those years ago. But why would we abandon Cam and Isaac like that?

I jumped out of my thoughts as Mr. Lahey shouted out for his son, my pulse quickening with fear at the authority in his voice. He pauses making me look in the same direction as him, there was no response, leading to a pause where we both held our breath. Squinting to see past his rain covered glasses, Mr. Lahey tried again, a question in his voice as if he doubted it himself.

I continued to hold my breath, the alley holding not a response, but a large figure. I felt an ice-cold chill run through me, only this time it wasn't the rain; it was cold familiarity from the shadow. I felt myself tense, my body fighting against whatever fight or flight reflexes I had. I was a prisoner in my body again, my ears ringing with my own faded screams. Letting out a forced sigh from the freely started gasp, I relaxed only slightly with the realization that it was just a memory from that confusing night and not current.

Flashes of light, and of Danny being hurt flooded my vision, making me squeeze my eyes shut to try and remove the visions from my head. I knew that this was what attacked us in the woods, there was no denying it, no Danny to hide it away in lies. I didn't know what it really was, but I know I was running headfirst into it without even trying. Danny may be fine, but something was wrong here, and as scared as I was, I need to find out what it was. _What the hell is happening? Where's Isaac?_ Peeking around the corner, I felt myself pale from the look on Mr. Lahey's face as he puts his glasses back on from attempting to dry them and claps, reaching our bikes.

"Okay that's enough." Mr. Lahey's voice broke me free from my personal trance I kept finding myself in. "Leave whoever you're with. Let's Go."

As the alley held no response, I was tempted to come out of my hiding spot and explain that I wasn't with him, but that I had happened upon him. Though really that was the truth, explaining my current position would make no sense whatsoever, so all I could really think of was saying that I really needed to get home. My phone sat silent next to me, the low battery warning flashing briefly across the screen. As I did nothing, Mr. Lahey only got angrier; his voice hardening as he was ignored.

"I said leave your little _friend_ , grab your bike, and let's go."

Part of me understood why Isaac was still hiding, but I feared for all three of us if he didn't reveal himself soon. Finally, hoping that maybe he'd show up if he knew he wasn't alone, I started to stand up, pushing past my terror to remind myself that I had control over my muscles. I straightened behind the dumpster and listened as Mr. Lahey started to pick up that maybe Isaac wasn't the who he was talking to. My eyes scanned the back, hoping to find him first as his father's voice shifted from rage to uncertainty. I couldn't make out any shapes and decided right then and there I was going to intercept. Taking a step forward, I was slammed back by something moving faster than me. This time, I could still move, and adjusted, determined to see what the hell I was dealing with.

Unfortunately, I only barely caught sight of a scaled tail flicking out of sight before there was scrambling overheard. A wave of terror passed through me, and I pressed myself against further into the wall, staying as still as possible so that whatever was in the alley would ignore me. The screeching of the door pierces through Mr. Lahey's shouts. They were brief rabidly replaced with the fair more defining sound of something rending flesh and crushing bone. I covered my mouth quickly, trying to keep my whimpers of fear unheard.

I once again found myself in a situation where it was quiet, but too quiet; no calls for help, no ragged breathing; no sound save for the pouring rain. I waited a few painstaking seconds, willing my body to calm itself so I could make an escape. After I felt that it had worked enough, or at least that I couldn't wait any longer, I pushed myself up trying to calm my breathing and nerves as I moved, slowly, so as not to be noticed by anything still there. Looking around me, I moved towards my bike, whispering for Isaac, or Mr. Lahey to answer me. As I reached the bikes, I looked back and forth, satisfied that whatever was here had left. Whatever _the hell it was...it was dangerous._

"M-Mr. Lahey?" I call out louder t, moving nervously towards the car. I looked behind me. _Do I call for Isaac? Or would it just be risking him too?_

There was no response, the rain is falling harder as I questioned my sanity and whether I should run. But there was only one way out, and I was heading right towards the last person who tried to leave. I steeled myself, trying to bolster myself up, "Come on, McGrath. You need to leave before whatever the hell Danny is trying to make you forget is in your face, instead of the periphery." I pushed forward, trying again, my voice not as strong as I would like it to be. "A-are you okay? Can anyone hear me?"

Still, there is no response, the car door laying right next to the silver vehicle on the ground and the side of the car shredded with blood everywhere. I couldn't see Mr. Lahey or the state he was in, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to from this preview. I turned to get my bike, deciding it was time to leave _now._ Just as I turned, I crashed into something, letting out a gasp and closing my eyes, hearing someone let out a small grunt of shock. Opening my eyes, I collapsed into myself, glad to see that it wasn't whatever attacked Mr. Lahey. I felt my fist lower, unsure of when I'd even raised it. Maybe Danny was right, I need to stop trying to hit my way out of things.

" _Jesus Christ! Isaac_ " I breathed, looking up at him, "You scared the shit out of me! What the _hell_ is going on? Are you okay? Did that thing get to you too?" It all came out in one breath, my eyes scanning our surrounding quickly, before I frantically looked him up and down. "You're not hurt are you?"

"Woah, woah _Steph_ ; slow down, just take a breath." His hands found themselves on his shoulders, their warmth sending shiver down my body. He saw this and pulled away, an apologetic look on his face. "One thing at a time…"

"And where do you suppose we start?" I choked out, rubbing at my arms to warm, and possibly steady, myself.

"Well…" He ran his hand from his forehead to the back of his head, releasing a bunch of droplets of water trapped in his curls. "Maybe with…why you're here?"

I gulped, nodding slowly, "Right, well, I was heading home from work- I bike down this way- and I saw you all freaked out, and wanted to make sure you were okay, then your Dad…"

Isaac gave me a look of confusion. "You wanted to check on me?" He shook his head, more water escaping the ends of his corded ringlets. Waiting until I nodded, he continued. "Why'd you continue following after you saw my dad?"

Giving up on warming myself, I hugged my shoulders to make myself smaller. "Well… when someone is running _away_ from their parent, it doesn't necessarily spell a happy situation, does it?"

He sighed, avoiding my gaze briefly before nodding, "No, uh, I suppose it doesn't."

We stood there in silence for a while, as if waiting for our heartbeats to quiet down, to reach a regular pulse rate. Eventually, he just shook his head, looking to the car, "Did you get a look at what did this?"

"I-I don't know, it knocked me down when I moved to show myself." I ran my hands back up and down my arms, shivering from shock more than the cold. "But...whatever it was? It was big."

I stared back at the car briefly before looking back at Isaac. As I did, he started to move towards the car, and I grabbed his sleeve. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

He looked down at me where I was frozen, looking just as frightened as I did. "No…. but I-I need to see if he's okay."

"Okay is definitely not a word I would use to describe him right now. Best-case scenario has him in the ICU, and I don't think you need to see that. I stopped, shaking my head as his eyes pleaded me to continue, "But to be honest, I lack any ideas on what to expect."

"Well, whatever happened, he's my dad...I have to help him." He looked back at the car, moving slowly.

"Right…" I nodded dumbly, not sure if I should tell him that even if his dad _was_ okay, we had bigger things to worry about. _Either way; This can only end badly._

Still, I nodded slightly and followed him, so that he didn't have to do this alone. As we approached the car, I noticed all the blood again. It was everywhere. On the ground, around the car, against the windshield. All of it, covered in thick red liquid. Even taking in all that didn't even begin to prepare me for what I was about to see. I held my hand over my mouth to keep back the scream that threatened to spill from my lips.

Isaac's dad was strewn across the two front seats, his back bent awkwardly over the cupholders and gear shift. His eyes were open still; the glasses slightly askew on the bridge of his nose with a look of horror across his face. It was scratched up, claw marks going along his cheeks, but the worst of it was in his chest and stomach. They were torn apart, but there was so much blood pooling on his sweater and mixing with the rain that I couldn't tell just how bad it was, or what the injuries even were. I could tell one thing though: Isaac's father was murdered. I grabbed into Isaac's sleeve, trying not to faint. _I_ _need to think...I need to thi-no. We need to_ leave _._

I gulped closing my eyes and opening them slowly, "Isaac, we need to get out of here." I tore my eyes away from the nightmare to look at him, to see him in the same state I was, a far-off look in his eyes. I tried again, calling his name, but he didn't snap out of it. Finally, I shook his arm, making my voice strong. "Isaac!"

He looked down at me and then at my hand on his shoulder, making me remove it in a sign of surrender. "Get your bike and let's get out of here. Now _._ Someone is bound to have called the cops and we _can't_ be here when they show up. Especially you."

"How are they even going to-" He choked, his eyes getting glassy. "Who's going to-"

I pointed around the area, "Something tells me with the amount of noise we just heard? Someone is bound to have made a call already. If not, I can make a call myself." I turned toward the bikes, pulling mine up as he stood numbly. "Look, do you have somewhere to go? Being at home could either make or break you...depending on if your neighbors saw anything."

"Uh, yea…I-I've got a friend's place I could go to." He walked over and picked up his bike, still not really reacting to anything. _Not that I can really blame him right now._

"Can you get there alright?" I looked at him worriedly, and he held my gaze for a few seconds, both of us not sure what to do. Suddenly my phone rang, causing both of us jump when my pocket started to play Danny's ringtone, "Shit! At least it's going off now... one second," I pulled the phone from my jeans and to my ear, "H-Hello?"

"Oh, thank god you answered this time." My brother sounded slightly worried, but mostly relieved. "Where the hell are you?! I texted you half an hour ago, the clinic isn't that far from the house."

At the mention of 'this time' I felt anger and guilt boil in my gut. That's right, the last time I saw whatever the hell I'm seeing, he tried to tell me I dreamed it. I spent a week with nightmares of something only for it to show up all over again. The fear burned away with the betrayal, but I kept my voice steady, not needing him to know that just yet.

"Sorry, Dan, I just ducked somewhere when the rain hit harder. I don't have my night lights on my bike yet, so I didn't want to hit anything." I took a breath, looking away from the look that Isaac was burning into my forehead. "Didn't realize you were timing me, I'll head back now, just…don't continue the timer, yeah?"

"I'm not-" Danny sighed, his voice trailing off. "I'm just making sure you're safe is all. There was all that craziness a few months ago, and now you're acted strange…I'm allowed to be worried."

"Of course, you are but this is helicopter parenting." I forced a laugh, feeling the weight of the evening push against the floodgates of my vision. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Be careful."

I agreed before hanging up, moving to my bike. "Okay, I have to get home, but do you- I mean should I at least go with…with you part of the way?"

Isaac, pulled up his bike, looking at me with an unreadable expression on his face, "No uh... I'm fine. You get home...I'm going the opposite direction anyway."

I tried to smile, but it fell flat, the idea of going home terrifying me. Back to the home where my mom didn't care, and my brother was hiding things from me. I bit my lip, trying to find the words to say. "Just- just stay safe, okay? I'll see you tomorrow."

He nodded slowly, and I took off, hoping to whoever would listen that he would get somewhere safe, knowing that there was no such place for me.

"I mean what the hell is your _problem_ , kid? I had just gotten one of those automated calls to say they finally find the Martin girl, and I realized that you weren't home yet. I know you've been off the past few days, but you really need to be more careful."

I nodded, wringing my hair out over the bathroom sink as Danny loomed at the door frame. Mom was gone to work already, so I didn't even get the benefit of an unknowing buffer. No, instead, it was just the two of us. The irony that I usually I loved this, didn't escape me, but I was wired, tired, and desperate for sleep. With everything that's happened this week, I'd rather deal with my mom than be alone with my overprotective liar of a brother. Picking at my soaked clothing, I pushed past him to get into my room, closing the door between us.

"I didn't realize I was going to take so long... sorry to ruin your evening." I mumbled, barely even sure if he could hear me through the barrier I just made. I went to my dresser, pulling out a baggy sweatshirt and my warmest pajama pants.

"You didn't ruin anything, I just… you know I worry about you." His back rubbed against the door as he sat down, clearly not leaving me alone any time soon.

"So you've been saying since I walked through the door." I said, unable to keep the bitter tone from my voice. I felt myself muttering before I could even stop myself. "Pretty funny considering the nightmare we lived the other day was 'only my imagination' if you have your say."

"What?" I paused as I pried my scrubs off, wincing at the newly forming bruises from when I hit the wall. And maybe at the tone he used as he implied that he had in fact heard me.

"Nothing, Dan, just restating the whole helicoptering thing I said on the phone." I deflected, shivering as the warm clothing whispered its way down my body. "But, if you're gonna insist on keeping it up, I'm decent now."

There was an uneasy silence between us as whatever went through his mind distracted him and I tried to calm my own thoughts. I don't know how long I sat in my bed before Danny finally pushed the door open, but the sound of him walking in was enough to make me jump. Looking up from my hands, I felt a pang of regret dig itself into my throat. He was standing in his own pajamas, two bowls of ice cream in his hands and his portfolio of dvds tucked under his arm. There were a thousand things in his eyes: _Give me a break, At least I pay attention,_ _I'm sorry, I love you…I'm just worried._

 _ **Please don't shut me out like Mom does to you.**_

I sighed, moving down the bed to make room from him and accepting the frosty treat from him. I wasn't going to let go of this anger, but until I found out what it was, I couldn't let him know about it. I needed to catch him in the lie or get him to slip up somehow.

"I'm glad that Lydia is back home… and I'm sorry to worry you a second time this week." I thought back to Isaac and how shocked and scared he looked. I _hope he is doing better than me..._ I shook my head, taking a small bite of the cookie dough he'd brought. "Midterms and all that…"

I knew the excuse was lame, and I doubted he was going to let it go, but like me he kept his thoughts to himself. Nodding he adjusted himself to be more comfortable. "Let's skip the studying tonight then. Pick a movie."

I did, finding some stupid movie we'd seen a thousand times and leaning into him, trying to ignore my anger and just let his calming prescience have its usual effect over me. At this point, I was just hoping the drain from my fading adrenaline would finally let me sleep. I was honestly didn't know if it would work, but I was so tired, and scared, I couldn't do anything but curl into Danny's side. But even the familiar warmth of my big brother wouldn't stop me from thinking about a pair of haunted blue eyes or quiet my mind that was plagued by questions.

What _happened_ tonight?

What was _going_ to happen tomorrow?

What can I _do_?

How is Isaac going to _survive_ this?

How am _I_ going to survive this?


End file.
